XMen: The Hour of Change
by Demangel
Summary: Six months after the events of X3, Wolverine and Shadowcat must race against time to protect a unique teen mutant from a group of mutant assassins who've been contracted to kill him. PLEASE R&R!
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE:**

**Six months have passed since M-Day at Alcatraz Island. The world saw a brutal war waged that day, a war it would not soon forget. An army of mutants rallied to put a stop to a possible cure that would banish their unique abilities into human dormancy. They failed at their attempt, staved off by a small band of mutant peacekeepers known as the X-Men. In the weeks following the battle, the supposed cure was shipped worldwide, being issued to those who would accept it, and even to those who wouldn't. But it was all for not in the end. After only a few months, the cure began to lose its effect, granting the dosed mutants with the return of their powers. The global Societies again regained their distrust of the supernatural species.**

**Change may only have occurred sparsely to the outside world, but much of it stayed within the compound of the X-Mansion. With the apparent death of their beloved leader, Dr. Charles Xavier, the surviving members continued his dream. Storm has now become the school's fulltime administrator, as well as the commander of the X-Men team. Beast took time away from his position as the Secretary of Mutant Affairs to teach the new generation of mutants, in honor of Xavier's memory. **

**After realizing the cure was not permanent, Rogue has taken a leap of absence from the school to help clear her head. Bobby/Iceman joined her on this vacation. Shadowcat still attends the regular routine of class life with her fellow teammate Colossus. As for Logan, he's still around most of time, teaching the students field strategies as a combat instructor. How long he'll stay isn't apparent, but his word to Xavier may keep him present longer than anyone could guess.**


	2. Orphan

The evening was lit with a darkened shade, woven into a veil of beaming stars. Alone, and half nude, Shaw Anders raced through an undisclosed patch of woods. His chest heaved with exhaustion, and his legs buckled into near falter with each rush further. The limbs of trees whipped at his face with vicious regard, though his pace never let up. He was running from something, or rather, something was chasing him. Frenzied with a nervous demeanor, the young teen clumsily tripped over his own feet, throwing himself into a rough roll through a thick brush of bushes. He hit nighest hillside with a bounce, his body tossed and slammed against the ground like the cycle of a clothes dryer.

Browning leaves flew about in the air, scattered out by his descending momentum until the ride finally came to an abrupt halt within a small creek bed. Shaw splashed loudly upon impact, sinking into a shallow pool of water waiting to catch him. Quickly, he absorbed its chilling touch, and hacked out cough after cough, having gagged on the water he'd accidentally swallowed. The wet locks of his black hair stuck tightly to his forehead, soaking his eyes with running drips. Half blind, he dug his fingers deep within the moist dirt next to the creek and stopped for a second. Part of him wanted nothing more than to just lay there in defeat, to gain the rest he so badly needed. But now was not the time to stay still.

Mustering up his resolve, the boy climbed to his knees and forced his legs to stand. For a moment, he wobbled in daze, extending his hands as feelers to search out a safe path. Instantly, he could perceive the dry, willowed trunk of a tree before him…as well as something else. Its feel was smooth and shapely, like a well developed chest. Shaw's jaw began to vibrantly tremble with fear. Only now did his sight begin to refocus and give the lad view of who was standing over him.

Though his face remained blurred, the Stranger's presence was acknowledged by the pair of burning yellow eyes piercing Shaw's soul. Before he could mount any offensive, the Stranger clasped hold of the boy's throat and effortlessly elevated him into mid-air. Shaw grunted out pleas for help, but they would fall deafened, masked by the seclusion of the area. Staring at his victim with malicious intent, the Stranger grinned a set of grotesque, sharpened teeth, as he spoke four words aloud. "The power is mine!"

Shaw blustered out a screeching scream that echoed for miles. He didn't want this--HE DIDN'T WANT THIS! A violent surge of light then blasted forth in all directions, engulfing any and everything nearby in its luminescent shine. Giant pillars of energy flooded the pitch black sky before fading to complete and utter darkness.

Shaw awoke in a cold sweat. His skin leaked perspiration from head to toe, so much so that a single wipe of his hand wasn't enough to smear it all away. He had had the dream again, no, the nightmare. It was the same nightmare that had haunted him for weeks now. Every scene played out the exact same way as before, like a broken record that never seemed to be repaired. Softly, Shaw allowed his feet to fall off the bed, bringing him upright. Drifting his head towards the floor, he grasped each side and squeezed hard. The pain of it was the only thing that could distract his mind from the surmounting anxiety.

A bird's call could be heard chirping from outside the small trailer. Morning was here now. Shaw thought it funny how he failed to even notice it, though he didn't laugh. After a moment or two of inhaling and exhaling deepened breaths, the young teen left his bed for the bathroom. He spun the rusted knobs and released a gentle flow of warm water into his palms, then pitched it into his face. Returning from the belly of the sink, Shaw fixed his sight on the reflection staring back at him from the cabinet mirror. He barely recognized his own face anymore. A patch of whiskers riddled his cheeks, cloaked under a pale complexion. It was as if his spirit was slowly being drained out of him.

Shaw shrugged in disapproval and continued back into his room. The alarm clock read 9:30. He had to be at work soon. Most kids his age would already be in school at this time, earning a proper education. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option for Shaw. He never had the chance to know his father, but he always imagine him as a drunkard who engaged in a one night stand with his mother some 18 years ago.

His mother…there was sad story all to itself. It had been nearly nine months since Shaw last saw her. It was pretty obvious after the first month that she wasn't coming back. Not that it was a big change from the norm, though.

Despite being the parental figure in his life, Shaw's mother had a nasty habit of arriving home intoxicated, or stoned off the newest pills she purchased with their welfare check. Having her gone might actually be a blessing in disguise, but in some ways, Shaw still missed her.

So now he was alone, forced to work for a lousy seven bucks an hour at Lou's CD Shop just to keep the electricity and water going. A terrible fate to befall an 18 year old, but what choice did he really have? Shaw slipped on a pair of ripped jeans and a black 'Ramones' tank-top in no time at all. On his way out the front door, he pocketed his keys and wallet, and then slammed the door shut with good measure. His sluggish pickup truck greeted him immediately, to which Shaw entered inside through the passenger door and scooted over to the driver's seat. From there, he plugged the key in the ignition slot and pressed on the gas pedal.

Unbeknownst to the boy speeding off to work, his every action was being watched from afar. A wooden staff stuck rooted in the ground, embedded next to a mysterious figure. His gloved, free hand held a picture in it, yet the image could not be seen. Erecting a single finger, the Figure collapsed the activation button of a com-link wrapped around his earlobe. _"Ruckus, the target is heading into town. Continue observation until we have verified his identity."_ He ordered soullessly.

"_Yes sir. Slab and I will keep a close eye on him. What are we to do if this kid turns out to be the one?"_ A reply echoed back.

The Figure again observed the photo in his embrace, at last revealing it to be one of Shaw Anders before crushing it into a wad. _"Then take him."_

"_Yes sir." _Ruckus answered back to his leader, then cut the transmission.

As the Figure deactivated his com-link, he took one final glare at Shaw's truck as it disappeared behind a bend in the road. Whoever this man was, and whatever it is he wants, one thing was for sure. Trouble was not coming to meet the Anders boy...it was already here.


	3. Road to Slateburg

The halls of Xavier's Academy for Gifted Youngsters were bustling with life. Students walked the grounds with happy faces, filling the atmosphere with pleasant conversation. High above on an extending balcony, Storm sat overlooking the courtyard. She smirked at how well things seemed to be going, feeling the sense of pride that her mentor must have felt on a daily basis. She wished he could be here to see it, if only once more. To witness that his goal from far from forgotten. A knock at the door stole her attention from the student population and announced the arrival of an old friend and ally.

"_Hey Storm, you wanted to see me?"_ Wolverine inquired with a gruff voice, void of most patience.

Storm turned from the balcony and met with her grand desk, snatching up a pile of paperwork from inside a folder. _"Yes Logan, please come in. I have an assignment for you."_

"_Assignment?"_ Wolverine oafishly blurted out while entering the room. _"What kind of assignment?"_

Storm siphoned through the papers in her hands until she came upon the one she needed. Laying the other documents to rest, she presented her friend with a profile titled **'Shaw Anders'**. Wolverine studied the file with a casual skim, really only paying attention to the words written in bold. _"Okay, so what's up with this kid? Is he a threat to us, or just a recruit?"_

"_Neither yet. But he's someone I want you to go keep an eye on for a little while."_ There was a noticeable twitch in Storm's body language. Wolverine picked up on it almost immediately, prompting him with an urgency to probe the mission's purpose.

Normally, he would've let it go right off the bat, but there was an eerie tinge of air breezing the room. Comparable to the rush of coming death one feels before battle. "_Look, Storm, I do enough babysitting around here as it is. So why do you want me to go some place else and do some more?"_

The same twitch was present again. _"Logan, I wouldn't ask you to do it if it wasn't absolutely necessary. Besides, it's just a routine mission. You'll be there and back before you know it."_

Wolverine held off from responding for the next minute or so. He just stared on at Storm and churned his chin with suspicion. Nothing was for sure, but his gut told him she was definitely hiding something, which was strange considering how well they knew each other. Wolverine never wanted to accuse Storm of being a liar, but then again, she never gave him a reason to. "_What aren't you telling me, Storm?"_ He asked bluntly.

Storm paused with indecision, thinking herself foolish for trying to keep secrets from a warrior of Wolverine's caliber. The Weather Witch licked on her lips as she met eyes with Logan, trying to put words to what she knew. "_I'm sorry…but I assure you whatever you're thinking isn't correct. The truth is that I don't know how high the importance of this task goes, but I do know it's something we need to see through."_

"_And why is that?"_ Wolverine spouted sternly unconvinced.

Storm lowered her gaze with uncertain belief. _"Because….this child's file was locked inside the Professor's classified database. Today, it automatically opened itself into activity." _

Wolverine scoffed carelessly_. "Don't you think it could've just been a really bad glitch?"_

"_I thought so at firs too, Logan. But after reviewing the entire system mainframe, I found that the file was on a timer set a hour before you, the Professor, and I left for Jean's house on the day of his death."_

Wolverine's eyes widened with surprise, the same way Storm's did when she discovered the occurrence. He found trouble in believing what he'd just heard, but that didn't delay his heart from pumping slower. If the Professor believed he might die in his encounter with Jean, he wanted to ensure that this his pupils knew of this particular mutant's existence. _"But why the hell would it open today? If this kid is so special, why open six months later?"_

"_I don't know, Logan. Perhaps it had something to do with security measures? But if the Professor wanted us to know about this 'Shaw Anders', I feel the least we can do is investigate him."_

Wolverine didn't need to think over the proposition any longer. He owed a debt to Charles Xavier, and his code of honor would ensure he saw it through. _"I agree. Where's his location?"_

"_He can currently be found in a rural mountain town by the name of Slateburg, Montana. I've already had the Blackbird fueled, so you can leave immediately."_ Wolverine then delivered Storm a goodbye nod of his head before turning in place and stepping for the door; just as his feet were about to pass through the doorframe, Storm called out to him again. _"Logan…"_ She spoke gently. _"You may not be the only one searching for this child. So be careful."_

Wolverine grinned slyly with confidence. _"Good, something to look forward to."_ His charming, yet barbaric attitude always had a way of calming anyone's nerves, and Storm was no exception. The two momentarily joined one another in session of grinning, until Wolverine eventually took his leave of her office.

Wolverine walked the now empty hallways with a weight on his shoulders. He paid closer attention to Shaw's profile than before, finding particular interest in his mutant abilities ruled into the unknown category. It was questionable if Shaw even knew he was a mutant at all. Other than what was already stated in the summary, nothing particularly special stuck out about the boy. But regardless, some part of him earned favor of the Professor, and that was all the explanation this old war dog needed.

In the next instant, a collision erupted between Wolverine and a smaller individual. Neither of them appeared to be watching where they were going, and thus both ran smack dab into each other. Wolverine's instincts jumped into action, spurring him to draw out his adamantium claws. Seeing the glistening blades of the X-Man, a soft voice cried out to him with warning. _"Logan, stop, it's me!"_

Wolverine turned face and glanced down on a cowering Shadowcat, or Kitty Pryde as most knew her. Recognizing there was no threat; Logan retracted his claws and reached down to lift Kitty back to her feet. _"What're you doing out here? Aren't you supposed to be in class?"_

A still shaken up Kitty smugly replied with sarcasm. _"Yeah, your class. We were all wondering where you were, so I came looking for you." _

A feeling of stupidity washed over Wolverine in a roll of his eyes. He had forgotten all about his responsibilities after the meeting with Storm, not that he could teach today anyhow. _"Yeah okay, well tell everyone class is cancelled. I've gotta leave town for a while."_

"_What for?"_ Kitty asked with intrigue.

"_I've got a mission to go on." _He shrugged.

A spirited smile crossed over the tiny girl, allowing her to beam with curiosity. _"Oooooh, a mission. Can I come?"_

Wolverine playfully placed his finger to his lower lip and administered it a couple taps. _"Uhhhhh, let me think about that…no."_

"_Oh come on, Logan!"_ Kitty complained loudly. _"This place has been so boring since Alcatraz Island. How am I supposed to hone my skills in the field unless I'm actually on it?"  
_

Wolverine rolled his eyes again, only this time it was brought on by impatience. _"Look Kitty, it's not even that kind of mission. I'm probably going to just be watching some guy and coming home."_

"I don't care. I'll do anything to get outta here for a while. Come on, Logan, pleeeease." Kitty begged, tilting her head to the side in a means to bait Wolverine into submission.

The little woman's cutesy nature struck an unexpected cord with Wolverine. His better judgment told him to leave her behind, that it was the safest thing for her. He had no clue what he would encounter on this trip. Maybe it would be a smooth ride to and from, but on the other hand, maybe it would turn into the fight of his life. Conscience aside, he just didn't have it in him to disappoint his teammate. _"Fine, you can go."_ Wolverine groaned with a defeatist tone, half grinding his teeth.

"_THANKS LOGAN!"_ Kitty exclaimed with delight.

"_Go pack a bag and meet me at the Blackbird in twenty minutes. Don't be late."_

"_All right, I won't be."_ Kitty then left Wolverine with a lasting show of appreciation by huddling him with a quick hug, and phased through the nearest wall quickly after. Wolverine shook his head at how soft he was becoming and proceeded on his way.


	4. Not Easy Being Normal

Shaw stormed into his workplace ten minutes late. The jingle of the bell attached to the door alerted the occupying customers and staff of his ubiety. He cringed in place, wishing he'd remembered to come in the back entrance to avoid this same situation. From across the room, blocked by long, large racks of various CD's, his boss, Lou Samson, took notice of his employee's late arrival. In seconds, Lou was migrating around the customers, heading directly for the young teen's position.

"_Shaw, where the hell have you been? You're late again!"_ Lou bellowed, shifting about his thick mustache as if it was itchy.

Shaw leisurely peeked at the clock on the wall. _"With all due respect, Lou, it's only ten minutes. And I don't exactly live in town." _

_"That's ten minutes I had without the employee I'm paying. Ya know, that's all I ever hear from you anymore, Anders…excuses. I know your situation, kid, but I gotta tell you that this crap with you being late all the time is really starting to get old. You get me?"_

Shaw's expression told a million stories of this exact same conversation. It wasn't the first time they've had it, nor would it be the last, and when it was all over, both people would be sick of the other's company. But Shaw played his part and pretended to give a damn about some aimless complaint about him. Lou wasn't all bad, though. A tough prick, yes, but he always seemed to give Shaw the other chance he needed, whether he deserved it or not. _"Yeah, I know, Lou. It won't happen again."_

Though Lou looked far less than convinced, he still managed to bite his tongue from any further preaching. _"It better not. Now get behind the counter, it's your turn as cashier."_

Shaw did as he was told without interfering. Quietly, he rounded the edge of the checkout counter and slumped in posture against its smooth surface. None of the store patrons seemed finished with their browsing; this gave Shaw time to admire the outside. The town folk were abundant today, as the streets were filled with them. A meager population to any out-of-towners, but the mass was considerable to anyone who lived in Slateburg. A group of teenagers then passed by the shop window, carrying their backpacks tightly around their shoulders. No doubt they were skipping class for the day.

Shaw sighed under his breath and looked away. If life was fair, he would be one of them right now, but as most already knew, life was one cold chick. The whole thing soured his mouth, matching the sink of his heart. He felt angry inside, but there was nobody to blame for it. No parents, no friends, no one at all. The chime of the belled door rang out again, waking Shaw from his own self pity. Twisting his upper body to greet the new purchaser, Shaw found there to be two of them, and both were awkwardly staring his way. They didn't speak a word, only stared in complete silence.

Robbers were the first conclusion to come to mind, and just his luck, this place didn't have any iron stored away close by. Hell, he'd settle for a rinky-dinky alarm system button. Sadly, they had neither. The two customers staring at him weren't local, that much Shaw already knew. They were male, dressed head to toe in clothing styles you couldn't find in town. If that wasn't a dead giveaway, the fact that they wore Rolex watches on their wrists would be plenty enough. One was short and bald, but stocky; the other was gaunt and had hair damn near his ass. They were like two sides of a coin.

Shaw challenged their stare with one of his own, showing no fear to the plausible thieves. With one step planted, the two men routed towards the checkout counter, never breaking sight with Shaw. It didn't take long before they were face to face with the young rebel. _"Can I help you, gentlemen?"_ Shaw asked with a subdued manner.

The bald, bulky one scanned Shaw with his eyes before answering. _"Yeah, we're looking for someth'in violent."_ He said with a slight snarl. _"You know something that gets the blood pump'in."_

To him, Shaw's suspicions to not trust them were confirmed now. In a slow rise, Shaw straightened upward, bulging his built arms and chest aggressively. _"Well, I'm afraid we don't carry anything like that here. Maybe you should try Bixby. It's the next town over."_

The skinny man took notice of Shaw's dominant attitude and chuckled to himself. _"Hey Slab, I don't he wants us in here." _

"_I think your right, George."_ The bulky one, now titled **'Slab'** said back to his friend, George, before turning a scowl to Shaw. "_Is that true, punk? Do you want us gone?"_

Shaw imagined pulling them both over the counter and throwing a beating that would make God turn away in disgust. But instead, he played it cool…as much as it killed him to. _"Look, if you guys aren't going to buy anything, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."_

Slab and George cackled in tune. It wasn't clear if this was the sign before they attack or if this whole fiasco was just one big joke to them. Slab then suddenly broke away from his guffawing and smacked his hand against the counter top, cracking it under sheer force. Shaw took the offensive and brought his fists up at the ready, wondering nervously how he was able to do that. All attention within the establishment focused at the front, shocked by the clap of thunder that had just roared in the close vicinity.

Though a fight appeared evident, neither Slab nor George moved to strike. They just snickered snidely and made a retreat for the entrance door, throwing out a _"See you later, punk." a_s they left.

Lou's warm breath then swirled up the back of Shaw's neck as he came up beside him. _"What the hell was that all about?"_ He inquired, seeing Slab and George take one more glance back at Shaw before crossing the street outside.

"_Just some troublemakers, Lou."_ Shaw said with doubt. Their motive for entering the store wasn't clear, and that aggravated Shaw. At first, he thought them to be robbers, but now he could've sworn they came in for the sole reason of pushing his buttons. But 'why?' is the question. What did they have to gain in angering him? Brushing off his initial paranoia, Shaw felt the fissured handprint where Slab shattered the counter. No man could've done this, no normal human that is.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Slab and George strolled with purpose down the road, cutting off traffic as they pleased. The drivers dared not yell out profane remarks. These men did not look the like the sort to piss off. Strafing into a small diner just around the corner, both vandals met with another man sitting down at a booth overlooking Lou's CD shop. He sat silently even after Slab and George had already joined him. His long strands of pinkly dyed hair hid half his face, unable for anyone to get a clear picture of him. For moments abound, no one spoke a word until the third man decided it was time. _"Is it him?"_ He said low in volume.

"_Not sure yet, Ruckus. We tried to tempt him into using his powers, but he didn't go for it_." Slab reported with disappointment. _"Maybe he ain't the hit?"  
_

"_Or maybe he's just clever. It looked like he was on to us from the moment we stepped inside."_ George added.

Ruckus, the third of the bunch, took his underlings' information with a grain of salt. He knew not what to believe as of yet, but he also knew not make any assumptions as well. _"We'll continue watching him. If all else fails, we'll attack. He'll have no choice to but to use his powers then...if he has any."_

"_What if we're wrong, Ruckus? What if this kid ain't the guy we've been sent to squash?"_

Ruckus casually stirred the cup of coffee at his fingertips before sipping the warm liquid into his mouth and returning to stir it. _"Then we keep looking as per our contract. But I'd sooner die than believe Ramrod is wrong about this. He has a sense with nature that neither of us can hope to comprehend. If he says this kid is the one, then he's the one. It's only a matter of getting him to show it." _


	5. Welcome

The cry of the Blackbird's thrusters pulsed at the greatest height, thousands of feet above the earth. Sonic booms rang like thunder, crashing within the ocean of pale clouds. Inside the armored vessel, Wolverine and Shadowcat stuck seated in the cockpit, their eyes set on the endless stream of open space ahead of them. It was almost funny how a place full of such beauty could hold so much chaos. But that was all below them. Up here, there was only peace.

Withdrawing his zippo to ignite the tip of his half burned cigar, Wolverine saw Kitty's eyes stuck on the outside. It was possible that she was bored, but his instincts told otherwise. _"Hey kid, someth'in wrong?"_ He asked, expelling a puff of smoke from his mouth.

Kitty's hands flew high, quickly dispersing the cloud of smoke drifting her wave. _"No…I'm fine."_ She smiled back, though it came off too false to be real.

"_Really?"_ Wolverine asked with a dragging hum, reflecting his doubt. "_Why do I think you being bored wasn't the real reason for wanting to come with me?"  
_

"_Because you're paranoid?"_ Shadowcat responded with a overly smart aleck grin, obviously trying to throw Wolverine off her trail.

Despite her best effort, the senior X-Man didn't appear amused. Taking his cigar from his lips, Wolverine turned to Kitty and gave her his full attention, whether she wanted it or not. _"All right, spill it."_

She was beat, and now she'd have no other choice but tell Wolverine what he wanted to hear. Throwing her eyes to her seated knees, Kitty softly bit back on her lip. _"It's…it's about Bobby."_

A ding of realization rung through Wolverine's ears. If it was any clearer, a shining light bulb might've appeared above his head. _"Ooooh, I see. You're upset he chose to leave with Rogue, rather than stay with you."_ Kitty didn't reply to that comment, but again stared out the window. _"Look kid, you knew those two had a long history together. Sometimes you just can't have the one you want." _Wolverine fell silenced by his own words.A flash of Jean's face blinked by his eyes, followed by the memory of her gutted stomach twisting on his claws. _"You've…you've just gotta learn to move on."_

Kitty noticed Wolverine's sudden quietness, and frowned. You didn't have to be a genius to know what he was thinking about…**who** he was thinking about. A sting of selfish guilt pressed into Kitty. To her knowledge, Wolverine had only loved one woman in his lifetime, and he had no choice but to kill her. Shadowcat couldn't even imagine the level of suffering he'd endured through the past six months. It was all too horrible to think about.

A brief decline in altitude stirred Kitty's reflexes into action, having her pinch hard on the sides of her cushioned seat. The Blackbird broke straight through the airspace below, until leveling over a parcel of mountains and forests. Wolverine clicked on a switch and activated the ship's cloaking device, ensuring they would appear invisible to anyone or anything that looked up in the sky. A small town could be seen in the not so far distance. It was only a short delay before they passed over it and continued on to glide. _"Is that it, Logan?" _Kitty questioned.

Wolverine scanned through the onboard navigational system for their current coordinates. "_Yep, we're here. Now all we have to do is find somewhere to park."_ Staring outward at the long crawl of uneven rocky terrain, tree bunched hillsides and spanning lakes, Wolverine scoffed as a defeatist. _"This may take a while."_


End file.
